This offseason one of the Houston Texans' biggest needs was a pass rusher, and in Shaq Lawson, they got just that.
A great fit for defensive coordinator Lovie Smith's 4-3 scheme, Lawson should be able to play to his strengths and get after the quarterback in 2021 - and it's clear he's excited.
"Scheme is similar to what I played at Buffalo," Lawson said on Friday. "Same, as a matter of fact. Probably had one of my best years."
Specifically, which year he's referring to he didn't say, but 2018 and 2019 were arguably his best seasons to date - if you're basing this off of numbers. And during this time, he played in, you guessed it, a 4-3.
In '18 he had four sacks, 12 QB hits, five defended passes, and two forced fumbles, compared to six and a half sacks, 18, two, and one respectively in '19.
And the key to this scheme? According to Lawson, it's simply: "Attack."
"Set a new line of scrimmage, affect the quarterback in any way," Lawson said. "If that's getting sacks or putting pressure on him, we've got a great back seven. With this defense you can just attack. You don't got to think about no blocks or anything you've got to worry about. I mean, that's the great part about being in a 4-3 defense."
Lawson has yet to hit double-digit sacks in a single season or garner any Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors. But, now back in what appears to be his favored alignment, with an attack-minded coordinator, and a solid group of defensive veteran linemen alongside him, Lawson could yet reach his best and help kick-start this Texans rebuild.
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